Stonewalled

Stonewalled

Commentary and opinion written by Sophia Siedlberg

October 14, 2008

An Intersex Perspective

It was a strange morning yesterday. I had to read through about 30 emails about an organisation called "Euro DSD". (Is that a theme park?) and the nomination of Julie Bindel for a "Journalist of the year award" by Stonewall, a UK organization representing LGB human rights.

A controversy seems to have erupted around this because Bindel (who, I have read) is a rabid transphobe and at the same time is getting this award and Transsexual folks are, quite justifiably upset by this.

Having already written a few observations about the events of yesterday, a few transsexual folks sent me copies of the following "Response" from Stonewall to their complaints.

"Thank you for your email.

Julie Bindel was shortlisted for a Stonewall award in recognition of her journalism during the last 12 months which often brings a lesbian perspective into the mainstream press.

The awards nominating panel are not endorsing everything she has ever written. A nomination in any category does not mean that the awards panel agree with all of someone’s opinions. Stonewall recognises that some people may disagree with shortlisted nominees.

Regards,

Stonewall"

Perhaps we need to break this stock statement down a little and let everyone know what Stonewall are really saying. Better still, shall we put this into a broader context, given that the likes of Stonewall like to define "transgender" not just as transsexual folks and cross dressers, (two distinct groups of people) but they seem to add intersex people on that as well? Ah, yes that means me. I am intersexed. (I have 5 alpha reductase deficiency and despise the clinical stereotype of that condition).

Let's look at this stock response then (in the broader context):

"Julie Bindel was shortlisted for a Stonewall award in recognition of her journalism during the last 12 months which often brings a lesbian perspective into the mainstream press."

Perhaps we had best start with this ever so sacred "Lesbian Perspective" as I have seen it in action. For the past 12 years we have heard a lot of "lesbian perspectives" running around complaining that transsexual folks (usually transsexual women) "Invade women's space and impose stereotypes of women."

This is a bit rich given that "Lesbian Perspectives" have also been running around taking control of intersex groups (please see the ISNA Hoax) imposing clinical stereotypes on intersex children. It would seem that the only people who could call themselves "intersex" were "lesbians" who were the victims of "surgical feminization" as children, those intersex people who were surgically masculinized as children were silenced, accused of being (I quote) "Transsexuals using intersex to legitimize their womanhood" and where possible this was made into clinical policy. (Read the DSD Consensus statement.)

And "lesbian perspectives" never encroach on other people spaces do they? Of course not, they just want to ensure that genetically pure women (XX) have a safe space to meet, and they furiously guard that space. But they clearly do not extend that right to privacy to intersex people. What I find most upsetting is how they use transsexual folks as a stick to beat intersex people who do not comply

with their original assignation as male or female.

This is the problem for Stonewall if they choose to regard Bindel in a broader context. She represents a "strand" of feminism (not all of feminism) that is violently opposed to the existence of transgender, transsexual and intersex people. She simply wants to see a world populated by "pure" men and women. And she does represent the "lesbian perspective" I have just mentioned.

But let's get on to Julie Bindel specifically, rather than the privileged norm born dictatorship she represents. A pathological hatred of transsexual people is clearly the order of the day with Bindel and her friends. I mean this "lesbian perspective" includes comments like:

"Transsexual people should not be given surgery, instead they should be given talking therapy"

Meaning:

"We see male to female transsexuals as men and we don't want them to be happy and not male. We want them to be male so we can blame them for everything".

Now I know I am not allowed to point this out because to do so would offend the “oh so precious” Julie Bindel who cannot be insulted and can never do wrong. She is presenting a lesbian perspective, don't you know? (Privileged norm born).

Bindel even recommends "reparative therapy" which was in the past used on gay and lesbian folks to make them "straight". (Actually it still is if you read Stonewall's "Bigot of the year" list, a few advocates of this particular torture of gay and lesbian folks are listed).

But they are quite happy to see the same inflicted on "male to female transsexual people" (transsexual women). Perhaps we could explain the reasoning behind this. A simple quote from this "therapy" should suffice.

"You are potentially a rapist. Go and kill yourself freak. You are not a woman and never will be. Hey, I know how about we gas you; oh you are such a revolting little freak"

The sole aim of this "therapy" is of course to abuse transsexual women and drive them to suicide. It gets better:

"Oh you were raped yourself, were you? Freak, oh right, perhaps it was your fault. You raped yourself. Please go and kill yourself. You are disgusting"

Yes, this is the sort of thing Bindel the nominee for "Journalist f the year" advocates. I seem to remember being told that Bindel and company even chat with the home office trying to make it that when a transsexual woman is raped, the rapist gets an award or something. A bit like her really, given she seems OK about mental rape.

Does that sound a bit far fetched to you? Well, if you ask any older gay guys about "aversion therapy", you will probably hear something similar. And ask a few people who were "assigned male" as children when born intersex but rejected it (myself included). I was subjected to this stuff while being sexually abused as a 12 year old. So I will take it that when Stonewall issue this part of the stock statement:

"Julie Bindel was shortlisted for a Stonewall award in recognition of her journalism during the last 12 months which often brings a lesbian perspective into the mainstream press."

They support all the vile repulsive norm born bullshit Bindel comes out with. I also cannot believe that all lesbians hold such revolting hate filled views either. (Which is why we get the term "lesbian perspective" and not simply "lesbian opinion".)

The problem for Stonewall UK is that they have to date only had objections from transsexual folks, some of whom have nasty memories of aversion therapy. But when someone like myself who has faced the full wrath of this insanity appears, then Stonewall had better think twice about dismissing it. Because unlike many transsexual folks I have a few more grievances. Like the time "lesbian perspectives" took over intersex activism in 1993 thanks to Cheryl Chase and the Intersex Society of North America. I have the fact that as a child my body was violated by surgeons and the "sex" they intended "male" is one I refuse to recognize with regards my own body, and if any "therapist" even thought of trying to brainwash me out of having that opinion of my own case, they would probably be putting themselves in a very compromising and difficult position.

I don't see bigotry in Bindel. I see the norm born enemy, regardless of who she sleeps with (something I consider irrelevant). I simply see a heterofacist norm born who would, given the chance, seek to control my life. And that is simply not going to happen.

And Bindel can cry and harp on about transsexual folks as much as she likes. I happen to know that many of those people have also suffered similar violations of their human rights, as a direct consequence of the things she advocates.

This is where the second part of the statement comes in.

"The awards nominating panel are not endorsing everything she has ever written. A nomination in any category does not mean that the awards panel agree with all of someone's opinions. Stonewall recognises that some people may disagree with shortlisted nominees.”

So we have to ask what this "award" is all in aid of then? Did people give the defendants at the Nuremberg trials "awards" because, while they did not agree with all they did, they happened to be strong leaders, etc. and deserved an award? I don't think so. No, they hung them and rightly so. The same applies here. Bindel should be on the "Bigot of the year list" because at present what she advocates is torturing transsexual folks. (Transsexual women in particular, as usual).

As I recently pointed out, if Stonewall give her this award, then they will lose their mandate completely. They cannot call themselves a "human rights" organization if they give awards to someone who represents the belief in torturing transsexual folks, or controlling intersex folks or that props up the two sex system with such violence they could compete with war criminals for sheer nastiness.

I am speaking from an intersex perspective, that is an intersex person who has lived under the "radical feminist" and "Clarke Northwestern" jackboot for the past 20 years, and under the clinical jackboot before then. I was enduring lies and torture from "Gender experts" as young as the age of 5 after being mutilated by quacks at the age of 18 moths old. (And no, the result of that was a mess, not a "penis" which I had undone years later, just to spite the bastards).

Stonewall UK can spin like a centrifuge for all I care. The following statement

is nothing more than the sort of lie peddled by "willing travellers" (to borrow a term from Nuremberg) and to be honest I feel that Bindel should get a "Bigot of the year" award and Stonewall UK should rename themselves "Stonewallers", because if they give Bindel that award, then they are as good as giving norm born firing squads the license to shoot "gender variant" people.

Are you someone in stonewall UK reading this? Do you consider what I have just said "emotional blackmail" and is your response something bland like "I hear what you are saying but…". Well I have heard it all before. I suspect your next thought will be "Oh, I am now going to walk away from all this and ignore it." (Yes, I have seen that as well).

Don't, because it is all too predictable and it is an approach that will not work this time. Consider that carefully and consider what you are actually saying to those people you have issued the stock response to.

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